Jinyi focuses on traditional Shanghainese cuisine, particularly the home-style cooking of middle-class moms in the 1980s.

Restaurateur Chen Xiaofeng says Jinyi pays great attention to
traditional Shanghainese preparation methods, which can differ from the
customary Chinese way. For example, the hongshaorou, red-braised pork
belly, is slightly sweeter than that found in most Chinese restaurants
although it is just as juicy and tender.

The famous Shanghainese xiaolongbao are filled with shredded crab
roe, not the usual pork. Crab roe is a popular delicacy in Shanghai and
Jinyi is keen to emphasize this based on the shredding station in the
front of the restaurant. Even shengjianbao, pan-fried dumplings filled
with pork, a classic found in countless restaurants around the nation,
are given a Shanghainese spin — the skin was much thinner than the
dumplings found in other Chinese restaurants. Jinyi’s dumplings are
almost exclusively found at Shanghai street-food carts. These small yet
significant details all contribute to a more authentic, memorable meal.

Another highlight is the “crab egg,” a dish created by their Shanghai
chef for an international competition. The crab egg consists of
shredded crab roe (the yolk) and a gelatin-infused stock jelly substance
(the egg white). It’s shaped like a translucent, beautiful egg sitting
in light vinegar. Although a bit of a struggle for those who haven’t
mastered chopsticks, this dish is worth the effort because Jinyi is one
of a few places where one can enjoy it at an affordable price.

The dish is also considered a metaphor for the spirit of Shanghai, a
fusion between East and West, a blend of the old and new. Traditional
Shanghainese cuisine is different from general Chinese food in that it
embraces foreign influences. Jinyi seeks to reflect this. Other
well-executed fusion dishes include the potato salad (with homemade
dressing) and the pepper-fried chicken strips in a bamboo contraption.

Jinyi pays just as much attention to the overall dining experience as
it does the food. The restaurant is built to emulate an old Shanghai
ferry dock. Waiters are dressed as sailors while grungy lifebuoys can be
found throughout. Other old items like typewriters, record players, old
street signs and traditional Chinese posters can be found on the many
shelves and walls.

Add some soft music from Shanghai’s “Golden Age” in the 1920s, bright
blue sofas, along with colorful plastic cups and you’ve got a quirky,
eclectic feel.

The only complaint is that the restaurant may be trying to apply too
many themes at once, coming off as borderline hectic. The restaurant
layout is certainly eye-catching, but veers on overwhelming and
distracting.

At an average price of 60 yuan (US$9.67) per person per meal, Jinyi
offers an affordable meal. That being said, Westerners may want to bring
along a Chinese friend for translation and menu recommendations — a
simple trade-off for authenticity.